Ameesha Patel: Down but not out!

Folks, remember Ameesha Patel? The actress made her debut in one of the biggest films of 2000, Kaho Naa Pyar Hai, opposite heartthrob Hrithik Roshan. She followed it up with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha – one of the biggest hits in the history of Indian Cinema. A dream debut and an amazing follow up, for which she won rave reviews and even bagged her a Filmfare Special Performance award.

But then a few years of unsuccessful films followed and a string of flops to her name. Even a reunion with Hrithik Roshan in Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage proved to be a damp squid. Further films with the top Khans — Aamir and Salman, also failed for her.

Ameesha was last seen reduced to supporting roles such as in Bhool Bhulaiya. Poor Ameesha’s career had truly gone the Manisha Koirala way!

But folks, every cloud has a silver lining: In a recent list of top 20 all time Hindi box office blockbusters, featured in the Times of India, two of Ameesha Patel’s films graced the list and if that wasn’t an achievement in itself, Ameesha duly noted that she is indeed the only actress to have two super-hits to her name in the list!

With Raj Kumar Santoshi’s multi-starrer Power in Ameesha’s bag for 2011, where she stars alongside some of Bollywood’s power houses: Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devagn — dare I say it? The lady may be down, but is certainly not out!